Radiator pressure cap



u 27, 1946. c, H, LINES 2,406,502

RADIATOR PRESSURE cAr Filed Aug. 20, 1943 llfiiilillllo 1 3:23 7 V INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 27, R346 RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP Carl ,H. Lines, Connersville, Ind, assignor to Stant Manufacturing Company, Gonnersvflle,

' Application August 20, 1943, Serial No..499,375

Claims. (01. 22044) This invention relates to a closure device and particularly to a cap or cover for the filler opening of a radiator for automobiles or they like. More particularly it relates to caps of the class having, pressure and vacuum relief valves for controlling the fluid pressure within the radiator.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a device of the class described in which the sealin means is arranged so as to remain non-rotative relative to the filler neck during application and removal of the closure cap when the sealing members are in sealing contact with the sealing seats on the filler neck. The primary purpose of this is to reduce rotative resistance thereby requiring less manual eifort to apply the cap to the filler neck- Another object is to provide a structure in which there is no sliding action between'the sealing members and the gaskets,v the life of the gaskets is thereby greatlyprolongeol anda perfect seal is obtained for a comparatively longer period of use. Y

Another object of the' present invention is to. provide a closure for the purposes: set forth, whichisof novel construction and which is particularly adapted tolow cost volume production.

Another object of the present'device is" to pro-- vide a permanent gasket for the, lower sealwhich is part of the closure proper and is not likely'to:

become damaged or lost as: are those in ordinary constructions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is of comparatively simple construction and particularly well adaptedfor assembly and. disassembly.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novelfeatures. of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

For a better explanation of the invention, reference willbe; made to the accompanying drawing wherein; I

Fig. 1v is a vertical. sectional view taken atsubstantially the midpointshowing the. closure in closed position on a filler neck; v

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the valve cage;

. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3'-3 of Fig.1 showing'detail construction of the bottom plate only;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged: vertical sectional view of a portion. of the bottom plate takenon lin'e 4--4' of. Fig. ,3.

Fig. 5- isr-an enlarged sectional viewiof a: pora a 2. tion of a modified form of bottom plate showing the gasket carried by the flange thereof. Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing the numeral 6 designates the filler neck; onthe upper end of the 'filler neck there is provided an annular sealing seat 1 and. projecting radially and downwardly therefrom conventional spaced entrance notches, cams and stops which are partially shown at 8. The lower end of the filler neck is turned inwardly forming an. annular ledge or lower sealing seat 9 which also provides a means for securing the filler neck to the upper tank ill of a radiator. The filler neck is also. provided with a vent opening H through the sidewall for carrying away any fluid passed by the pressure valve. The cap body I2 is provided' with downwardly and inwardly extending rigid ears l3 for cooperatively engaging, the entrance notches, cams and stops 8 to detachably secure the cap to the filler neck. Depending from the cap bod-y ii and attached rigidly and nonrotatably thereto at substantially its center is the valve cage l4. The valve cage 14 is of bell-like shape, its upper end being formed with an annular projection I5 which defines a space of a size determined by its thickness for the purpose of loosely retaining the upper sealing arrangement comprising the spring diaphragm l6 and the gaskets 'fl and Ila. The lower or open end. of the valve cage is flanged outwardly as at. l8 to provide a circumferential shoulder l9. One or. more slots 20 are provided in the lower portion of the side Wall of the valve cage and extending through the. flange It. The side wall of the valve cage is thus slotted in order to impart a capacity for a certain. amount ofresilient radial movement to the. flange l8. 'Ihe'effectv of the slots is to separate the cage into two 7 resiIi'entIdependent elements located on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the cap I 2. When the bottom plate 22 is associated with the valve cage, as shown in Fig. l, the flange 18, whoseaxialdepth. is less than that of. the groove or recess 23, isfreely movable within said groove or recess,.so that the plate is swivelly mounted onv the cage. Since the two portions ofthe cage body, defined by the slots 20, are resiliently movable. relative to each other, the effective diameter of the flange 3 may be reduced sufficiently to permit the plate 2 2 to be snapped into place thereon, and to permit the plate 22 subsequently to be removed therefrom for repair or replacement of any of the said-qcage."

parts of the assembly within Additional openings :21. may be pro- 1 1 v the lower flange 9 of the filler neck, is formed with an annular groove 23 (Fig. 4) which is of such'dimensioQSthat it freely and rotatably receives the lower flanged end l8-of the valve cage M. The bottom plate 22 also is provided with an annular valve seat 24 to receive the pressure valve 25, and inwardly of the valve seat is perforated at 25 and provided with a Vacuum ,valve spring centering flange 21.

The pressure valve spring 30. r A compression spring 3! is rovided 7 25 has a central' port which is closed by. the vacuum valve 29 and' its 4 V 4 desirable to use the moulded type of gasket in a closure pressure device instead of the loose type of gasket, for various reasons; for example, the

moulded gasket is obviously .integral with the bottom plate 22 and therefore cannot become loose or distorted by removal of the closure capfrom the filler neck. Sealingeflect with'the seat Q-may always be assured-after closure cap has,

been'properly positioned on filler neck and further, there is a, distinct advantage in the ease by which the integral moulded type of gasket can 'be cleaned of any foreign matter which would interfere withsealin effect. Thecooling solution -in certain vehicle engine such as farm tracbetween the pressure valve 25, and .theiinside top 1 of the valve cage M. The bottom plate122 may be attached to the valve cage in the following manner: At several points aroundthe periphery of the groove 23 the side wall is formed inwardly into retaining lugs 32, as may be seen in Fig. 4'; These lugs are preferably of cam-like'shape having a substantially flatface or ledge 33at-the lower end and a cam or incline 34' blendinginto the sidewall at the upper portion. Theledge 33 is spaced slightly more fromthe bottom of the groove .23 thanthe thickness of the flange I8, Assembly of the bottom plate 22 to thevalvecage I4 is accomplished by locating the bottom plate. over the open end of the valve cage sothat the flange l8 starts to enter the groove 23, pressure is then applied and, the cam'shape 34 acting ag ainstthe flange I8 causes the valve cage to. compresslwhich is permitted, bytheslot 2B) sufficiently so that the, flange I8 passes over the lug 32 and rests belowit in. the groove 23, whereupon thevalve cage springs outward to its original diameter. The ledge 33 being flat has no cammin effect upon the flange i8, therefore, it it becomes necessary to remove the bottom pl i h va ve s m st be compre se ma e. ually to reduce the diameter until the lugs 32 will pass over theflange l 8.

Insteadof, a plurality of separate lugs 32 the cain'section may be formed as a continuous l edg e. The gasket 35 is provided between the sealing seat'of the bottom plate' 22 "and the'lower sealin flange 9 of the finer neck to guarantee a seal a'tthis point." I

' When theclosure is applied to'the filler neck, the sealingfseat of the bottom plate and the upper sealingarrangeme'nt (16, i1, Ha) are pressed into sealing engagement with the lower sealing flange 9 and the upper sealing seat 1 respectively by the action of the cams 8 and 'th'e ears l3.1 'During the stead of 'the'standard construction using a seP-" arate'gasket 35 between the'sealingflange of thebottom plate'22 and the sealing flange 9 a gasket may be moulded permanently to the flange of the bottom plate'22 as shown in Fig. 5. This moulded gasket may consist ofa resilient materia1;such' as;a rubber composition suitable for:

sealing engagementwith-theiseat 9. It'may. be

, rotation'of the cap body in applying the closure, the valve cage Ht is rotated simu1-' tors contains particles of grit, sand, etc., which may become embedded in the sealing surface of a resilient gasket and if not removed, will cause an undesirable loss of cooling solution.

"While I have shown the preferred form of my invention itwill be understood that various changes in the combination, construction-and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed av ng t s described my invention,- what'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentisz' K l. A valved pressure closure device of the char acter described including an attaching cap for removable mounting on a filler neck, a valve enclosing cage provided with a bottom plate having portions to seat against a filler neck and to seat a pressure valve and havin an annular retaining recess between the said seating portions, saidvalve cage being cup shaped with its upper closed end rigidly secured'to the cap and its lower open end flanged with a slot extending through-the flange and lower portion of the side wall'adjacent the flange, saidflangebeingslightly resilient for self retentionwithinsaidrecess and free rela tive rotation between saidcage and plate.

2. In a device of the character described, a-

to provide clearance with respect to the interior.

of therim of said cup-shaped member through out the perimeter of said rim, said plate having means thereon seatable non-rotativelyspect to a filler neck to close the same.

3. In a device of the character described,- a

filler neck closure cap, a valve cage assembly comprising a hollow cup-shaped member of resilient material, thesides of said member being divided into separate flanged sections, relativel radially movable, at its open end, a simple rivet passing through said cap and the-base of said cup-shaped member and rigidly securing the same together,

the flanges of said separate sections being out- Wardlyturned at the periphery of the rim of said cup-shaped member, a bottom plate having an annular-groove fitting on said flanges to establish a free swivel connection with-said flanges,-

said groove having an axial depth greater than the axial depth of said flanges, and said-plate being shaped to provide clearance with respect= .to. the interior of the'rim of said-cup-"sh'aped With r emember throughout theperimeter of said rim, and a spring seated pressure relief valve within the cage sealingly engageable with said plate, said plate having means thereon seatable non-rotatively with respect to the filler neck to close the same.

4. A valved pressure closure device of the character described including an attached cap for removable mounting on a filler neck, a valve enclosing cage provided with a bottom plate having a peripheral flange, a gasket of yieldable mate rial integrally molded upon said flange and permanently secured thereto to seat against a filler neck, said plate being formed to provide an internal seat, a pressure valve mounted for reciprocation within said cage toward and away from said internal seat, said plate having an annular retaining recess between said seating portions, said cage being cup-shaped with its upper closed end rigidly secured to the cap and its lower open end flanged with a slot extending through the flange and lower portion of the side wall adjacent the flange, said flange being slightly resilient for self-retention within said recess and free relative rotation between said cage and plate.

5. In a device of the character described, a filler neck closure cap, a cup-shaped member, a simple rivet passing through said cap and the base of said cup-shaped member and rigidly securing the same together, the rim of said cup-shaped member having an outwardly turned peripheral flange, said cup-shaped member being provided with a slot traversing said flange and dividing the same into resiliently, relatively radially movable sections, 2. bottom plate formed with a groove opening toward the center of said plate and adapted to receive said flange, said plate having, peripherally arranged inclined surfaces facing toward the center of said plate and leading downwardly and toward said center and, at their lower ends, joinin the upper edge of said groove, whereby said resilient cage sections are cammed inwardly as said flange moves toward said groove, said groove having an axial depth greater than that of said flange whereby, when said flange is received in said groove, said plate is freely swivelly mounted thereon, and said plate being shaped to provide clearance with respect to the interior of the rim of said cup-shaped'member throughout the perimeter of said rim, said plate further having a peripheral flange seatable non-rotatively with respect to a filler neck to close the same.

CARL H. LINES. 

